Genetic obesity increases pancreatic expression of mitochondrial proteins which regulate cholesterol efflux in BRIN-BD11 insulinoma cells

Anna Maria Caridis, Richard J. Lightbody, Jamie M.R. Tarlton, Sharron Dolan, Annette Graham*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)
115 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Pancreatic β-cells are sensitive to fluctuations in cholesterol content, which can damage the insulin secretion pathway, contributing to the aetiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cholesterol efflux to (apo)lipoproteins, via ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter A1 (ABCA1), can prevent intracellular cholesterol accumulation; in some peripheral cells, ABCA1-dependent efflux is enhanced by promotion of cholesterol trafficking to, and generation of Liver X receptor (LXR) ligands by, mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase (Cyp27A1 (cytochrome P450 27 A1/sterol 27-hydroxylase)) and its redox partners, adrenodoxin (ADX) and ADX reductase (ADXR). Despite this, the roles of mitochondrial cholesterol trafficking (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein [StAR] and 18-kDa translocator protein [TSPO]) and metabolising proteins in insulin-secreting cells remain wholly uncharacterised. Here, we demonstrate an increase in pancreatic expression of Cyp27A1, ADXR, TSPO and LXRα, but not ADX or StAR, in obese (fa/fa) rodents compared with lean (Fa/?) controls. Overexpression of Cyp27A1 alone in BRIN-BD11 cells increased INS2 expression, without affecting lipid metabolism; however, after exposure to low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol efflux to (apo)lipoprotein acceptors was enhanced in Cyp27A1-overexpressing cells. Co-transfection of Cyp27A1, ADX and ADXR, at a ratio approximating that in pancreatic tissue, stimulated cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in both basal and cholesterol-loaded cells; insulin release was stimulated equally by all acceptors in cholesterol-loaded cells. Thus, genetic obesity increases pancreatic expression of Cyp27A1, ADXR, TSPO and LXRα, while modulation of Cyp27A1 and its redox partners promotes cholesterol efflux from insulin-secreting cells to acceptor (apo)lipoproteins; this response may help guard against loss of insulin secretion caused by accumulation of excess intracellular cholesterol.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberBSR20181155
Number of pages15
JournalBioscience Reports
Volume39
Issue number3
Early online date28 Feb 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Mar 2019

Keywords

  • cholesterol efflux
  • apolipoprotein A-I
  • high density lipoprotein
  • ATP binding transporter A1
  • dyslipidaemia
  • sterol 27-hydroxylase

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

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